KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) will see a change at the helm soon, with the agency expected to announce a new chief executive, people familiar with the matter told The Vibes.
It is understood that Futurise CEO Mahadhir Aziz has been picked to replace Surina Shukri, whose contract ends soon, and that he has already received his appointment letter from the Finance Ministry.
According to its website, Futurise is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cyberview Sdn Bhd, and a company under the Finance Ministry “that focuses on innovation, regulation and commercialisation”.
Insiders, however, said the MDEC board, led by non-executive chairman Datuk Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff, preferred to either extend Surina’s contract or appoint current chief digital business officer Aiza Azreen Ahmad as her replacement.
Prior to MDEC, Aiza was Pertama Digital Bhd chief executive. She quit three months into the job on February 5, citing her pursuit of “other opportunities”.
The agency’s governance structure dictates that the Finance Ministry, as holder of the golden share, has final say in the appointment of its chief executive.
People familiar with the matter said Mahadhir had been earmarked to replace Yasmin Mahmood, but that did not materialise following Surina’s appointment by the Pakatan Harapan government.
Tech publication Digital News Asia highlighted that Surina’s tenure is marked by a string of weaknesses, from lack of leadership credentials and inability to not wanting to “rock the boat”.
The change at the helm is the latest to hit the leadership over the past months. The Vibes in March reported that Datuk Fadzli Shah Anuar’s contract as chief strategy officer was not renewed, and Belle Ibrahim quit as MDEC’s integrity and governance head.
On January 20, The Vibes reported that eight senior executives left the agency, but MDEC in a statement shortly afterwards said the exits were spread over a period of five months. – The Vibes, May 11, 2021
